Barleycove is between two hills, with extensive sand dunes off from the beach
Barleycove or Barlycove (Irish: Bá na hEornan) is the name of a townland and beach in County Cork, on the south coast of Ireland. It is situated close to Mizen Head on the Mizen Peninsula, with Crookhaven or Goleen being the nearest villages. The area surrounding Barleycove is popular during the summer months. The beach itself has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation by the European Union, due to the variety of wildlife and interesting habitats present in the sand dunes.
Origin of dunes
On November 1, 1755 there was an earthquake and tsunami recorded in Lisbon. It was reported in the Cork Journal of November 2 that 15ft waves were experienced as a result of that tsunami. A side-effect of that is Barleycove; the sand is all displaced there as a result of that tsunami.
